A Reason for Infinity
by elemender0512
Summary: He's history's best soldier, and she's the world's best spy. It seemed that everyone had secrets of their own. And as the final fight draws near, Steve and Natasha find a new motive behind everything they will now do.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys!

I've always been obsessed with the MCU and Romanogers/Captasha is my ultimate OTP. So here's a short story on it.

Tip: A lot of this has parts of First Avenger, Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Infinity War in it. So it's a good idea to watch these absolutely marvelous (totally no pun intended) movies first.

Enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Captain America/Steve's POV**

In a way, she was just like Peggy. Both were dangerous, uncannily smart, forces to be reckoned with, as the only females on their respective battlefield. But while Peggy respected order more, Natasha was…an order of her own. She lived by her own rules, regardless of what other people thought, posing more of a challenge.

So, when he first saw her on that Heli carrier, he had been intrigued by this unique, powerful agent who had reminded him so much of Peggy. But now? He was way beyond intrigued. They had fought against the Chiaturi – and a god – together. And then, he was moved when she was with him, listening to him as they had realized HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD and as a result, had grown closer. They could be labeled partners, both professionally and personally. More than once, Natasha had welcomed him to the social culture of 21st century America, and they had gotten a little _too_ close. But he had enjoyed it – their little moments, in the bed or on the field.

But when Ultron had hit, and the Hulk had come back, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous when Bruce started snagging her attention. Knowing Natasha, he knew it was likely that this was probably a temporary thing, being the mysterious flirt she was, but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. However, being Steve Rogers, he swallowed his pride and teased Banner about it at the party in Stark Tower, and drank his worries away the night of that party. But then the Hulk left, and he had yet to return.

But the biggest hit was the Sokovia Accords. Stupid United Nations and Secretary Ross. Following his beliefs, he had strongly refused to sign them, knowing that this was the bane of his existence – freedom. After all, he was Captain America, wasn't he? He thought that he knew Natasha, knew that she would side with him; after all, they had gone through so much together, and sometimes they didn't even need language to communicate. But she was Natasha, and he shouldn't be surprised. She had her own views, and most likely an ulterior motive, which, he hoped, was something good. So, with a sorrowful glance, she had joined Tony's side, and then a barrier was spawned between them, icy and foreign and too sudden.

Even so, she had comforted him after Peggy's funeral, and they had enjoyed one, last, intimate night together in London, before she left him early in the morning to sign the stupid Accords. He had begged her not to, but Natasha had never swayed on her decisions. She gave him one last kiss, this time on the cheek, and her eyes reflected only a miniscule percentage of sadness– it was unusual for the Black Widow to display any emotion - and walked out the hotel room door.

The divide between the two sides of the team only grew deeper, until it started to turn violent. Not willing to be defeated, he had recruited his old friend Hawkeye, who reluctantly left his peaceful farmhouse life, and Ant-Man, a new phenom he had heard about. Bucky and Falcon were only too eager to be on his side, and Wanda, to his surprise, had chosen to fight on his side, even though she had been wallowing in the grief of her dead brother, Pietro, and obviously had feelings for Vision, who had chosen Tony.

During the preparation for that final battle, where Peggy Carter's niece- who happened to be that nice nurse living across the hall from him – had come? Of course, he was more than grateful for her defying orders to bring them their gear, but kissing him? She was a friend, and he like her for her loyalty, and nothing more. He needed someone who could stand her own ground but at the same time have a shoulder he could lean on. It was hard for him to admit, that he, Captain America, the seemingly strongest, most perfect man, still needed a shoulder to cry on. It was at that moment, that he realized that the title belonged to someone else – not Peggy, since no one could do anything about that, not Sharon, but Natasha.

The showdown at the airport was the worst of all. He was forced to fight his best friends, teammates who had brought him back to thinking life was worth living. He was forced to fight a kid, a teenager – Tony's new recruit, "Spider-man", and he couldn't even bring himself to fight Natasha. In the end, he had acted like a coward; he and Bucky just ran to the jet, and surprisingly made it. Only because, once again, Natasha had saved his butt; the look in her eyes as she said, "Don't make me regret this." It was pained, conflicted, and perhaps, or was it just him hoping – was there a tiny fraction of love – even if it wasn't romantic, like what he felt for her?

Had she switched sides, or had she always been acting as a double agent? Either way, he would never know. Soon after his exhausting three-way fight with Bucky and Tony, he had left the grid. He wandered the world, undercover, growing a beard and turning his hair brown.

But she? She too had disappeared off the grid. Tony, with the size of his pride and his ego, would never forgive her for letting Steve go, and everyone knew that. So, he knew that she fled, and he was desperate to see her again, but he would likely blow his cover, considering the watchful eyes of Tony, HYDRA, and about 10 million other sources, and realizing his minimal talent when it came to technology. And Black Widow, living up to her reputation, would not be found unless she wanted to. So, reluctantly, he stayed in his hole, after dropping off Bucky in Wakanda to return to his cryogenic sleep, and Wanda to her new temporary residence in Scotland, with Vision. For the past 10 months, he and Falcon had been fighting local street thugs in the midst of Saudi Arabia, and life couldn't get any more…normal. Was that the right word?

But normal wasn't longing obsessively over your crush, who happened to be the world's best spy. Normal didn't mean having super soldier serum flowing through your veins. Normal wasn't earning money by catching criminals until you died of boredom. But what else could he do? If he stepped out of his hole…he didn't want to know how many people were mad at him. It was ironic. Captain America, a coward. But it was then when he realized, he wanted something different in his life, different from the life he had for the past 10 months. Maybe something new. Maybe Natasha.


	3. Chapter 3

**Black Widow/Natasha's POV**

She just couldn't see any of them being injured at the expense of these stupid, pointless Accords – even her teammates on the other side, when they should be collaborating on bigger issues. So, she let Steve and Bucky go. But it was one of the rare moments when Black Widow had been wrong. She though letting them go would mean the fighting would cease, but it had only worsened – for example, Rhodes's condition. Rhodey didn't blame her, but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

As of now, Rhodey was in the hospital. T'Challa was taking care of an entire kingdom, bringing comfort and confidence to his people. Parker – the kid – was pursuing his own idle life, enjoying the chaos of high school. And Vision was grieving over his girlfriend, which he would likely to be reunited with, since everyone, including her, had a soft spot on Wanda, the young, fragile, superpower of the team.

But her? A dangerous, lethal weapon which would always be feared instead of idolized. And now, thanks to her own new condition and her sudden, rash, decision, she would also be hated. So, she escaped underground. SHIELD was down, the Avengers were done with, and her condition would soon render her useless.

If anyone had paid attention, they would have noticed they had 9 months to kill her only too easily. Maybe Tony, since he may have noticed her weakness for Steve, but almost nothing detailed could get into that head with the size of his ego. Surprisingly, no one had noticed, not even HYDRA or the KGB, which she knew still kept an eye on her. She should have felt blessed, but she couldn't help but feel sad, as this was her life – where no one looked after her, and the most care she would get from someone was during sex. The last time she had done that was with Steve – the day before she went to Vienna, and it had seemed like they were the only things that mattered to each other. The key word, to her, was seemed. Because, now, she was going to be a single mother like any other floozy out there.

This had come as too much as a surprise. The memory of her childhood in Russia was painful, and it ended painfully with that "graduation ceremony", which were code words for a sterilization surgery. But she shouldn't have been surprised. Her partner, lover, however it could be said – Steve - was genetically enhanced, and his sperm was likely super as well, and it had penetrated whatever they had put in her. Although the logical choice would have been to abort the child – which was the route her younger self would have chosen – she realized, whenever she looked down at the skin which covered the child inside – she could enjoy this. She felt…different. Peaceful was possibly the right word.

As of now, 30 weeks later, she settled in an apartment in Melbourne, Australia – far, far off the grid, with her swelled stomach rendering her almost useless. Literally, the most she could do was get up and order a pizza to be delivered to her door; she had never felt so useless, so abandoned. But this was the life of Nicolette Romarri, her new fake identity, a lonely, low-classed woman who had forgotten to take birth control one night.

Not that she could do anything about it, if she wanted to keep this child.


	4. Chapter 4

** Natasha's POV**

Suddenly, as she stood up from the couch, craving more extra cheesy pizza, she felt something wet dripping down her leg. Shit – she knew enough about women to know that her water broke. She dropped the book she was reading and ran as fast as her swollen belly would allow her to, and got into the car, and hurried to the hospital 2 blocks away.

"Help," she gasped at the front desk lady, who seemed faintly alarmed. "It's coming now."

But thank the gods that this lady, unlike some people, wasn't stupid. She immediately understood, and a nurse came in to escort her to the nearest room, where she was forced onto a bed, and the contractions started.

6 hours later, without an ounce of anesthesia, she had a son. A healthy, baby boy, who came into the world wailing with a powerful set of lungs and whacking fists which had given a nurse a light, temporary bruise on the face. Definitely Steve's.

"Name?"

She was so into looking at her seemingly perfect son that she almost missed it. "'Scuse me?"

"His name."

"Umm…James. James Grant." It seemed fitting, to name him with his father's middle name and the name of his best friend. She did not think Steve would think of anything better.

"Ok. And your name?" Dang, she should have expected this question, and she probably should say her real name instead of an alias. But SHIELD could make her an official certificate, anyways. "Nicolette Romarri."

"Birthplace?"

"Ru…New York City."

"Father's name?"

"…Stefano. Born in Brooklyn."

The doctor wrote all of this down without question.

"I'll be back in a moment," he said.

She gazed at the silent baby in her arms, hardly believing that she, Black Widow, was holding a child without killing it. And even more, it was her child. Her own.

She had never felt this kind of peace before, where she could just relax for a moment. There was no mistaking Steve in him – anyone who knew his face could see it in James, which was only too much of a coincidence, especially with the blue eyes. The only difference was that he had wisps of her red hair, instead of Steve's all-American blonde. Still, though…perfect.

She left the hospital 12 hours later, this time with an infant in her arms as she put him in her car, and drove herself back home, to that shabby little apartment. It wasn't the place she would have chosen to raise a kid, but it was livable.

But things went from perfect to very, very unperfect in record time. James, who had come into the world howling, ready to take off, was weakening. At first, she thought it was a faze, but in the second month of his life, he had developed a bad cough and wailed constantly. She shouldn't have waited that long, but at last, she took him to the hospital. Again. She had only been in the hospital so many times in her entire life.

The same doctor took care of her, and looked at the baby, before requesting a blood sample. A few hours later, he came back later, his face grim.

"I'm sorry, but I have to say…his DNA is…weird."

Natasha sat rigid, her maternal instincts firing up. Or was it her spy instincts? "Excuse me?"

"Forgive me, Miss…Romarri, but his DNA is unlike anything we've ever seen. James currently has a life-threatening disease. If he wants to be cured and without permanent assistance, he needs a temporary, consistent blood transfusion from someone compatible. May I take your sample?"

She met his gaze, which seemed genuinely honest, and nodded. But this would expose her; both the KGB and SHIELD had every record of her DNA makeup and doing this would expose everything she had built in the last 10 months. But, if it stood a chance of saving James, she would do it.

After an hour, the results were back, and for the first time ever, Black Widow's risk was fruitless. Her blood was useless. As the child of a super-soldier, she realized, the only person in the world who could save James was Steve. She told the doctor she would get back to him, spared one, last desperate look at her dying son, lying in an incubator in with an IV attached to his tiny, chubby arm, and left the facility.

She hurriedly returned to her apartment and opened the computer, and it wasn't hard to pinpoint Steve's location. Of course, as she had expected, he had broken out the other people on "his side" of the team and he and Sam were off "saving the world" again, drawing numerous reports from local sources in Saudi Arabia. She had hacked into his profile on the Arabian governmental records and gotten his contact information, and her hand shook as she raised her smartphone to her ear. It was likely that he was back it his base right now, considering it was nighttime in his time zone. And luckily, he picked up.

"Hello, Steve," she said smoothly. "Remember me?"

"Natasha?" he said. "that you?"

"Good to know your memory is not as old as you are."

A chuckle. Gods, she missed him, and hearing his voice increased the longing by tenfold. "Why did you call me, Nat? Where are you, anyways?"

"I'm…somewhere. And I hate to say this, but and you have every right to deny it, but just keep in mind -"

"Nat, just get to the point."

"I need your help."

She could almost see him, either smirking or smiling exasperatedly. "Romanoff needs my help? Never thought this day would come. What kind of help?"

She sighed, knowing that this would probably not end well. But her son was dying, so she had to pick her punches. "There's someone – a really good person – who has the same DNA as you. Ya'know, super soldier and everything? But he's dying."

"Oh...kay? How does this have to do with me?"

"Oh, stop being in the 1940s. We use blood transfusions from people that match to cure diseases. Please, I think you're a possibility."

She heard him sigh, and immediately knew she won. "I'll be there. Send me your location. You owe me one, Natasha."

"No, I don't. Call this payback for Leipzig. And please, come by yourself, can you do that?"

"Why?"

"I'll explain when you get here."

"I guess I'll trust you on this."

She smiled, knowing he could hear her, and hung up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Steve's POV**

Steve looked at the "Call Ended" screen, a mixture of emotions coursing through him. He felt elated, knowing Natasha was safe, not on Tony's side, and speaking with him again, but she sounded desperate in the way he had never heard before. She never said "please" or asked him to do anything. He would have suspected this was a forced call, but something told him this was of Natasha's own accord. And besides, knowing that another super-soldier existed? He was sure he was the last one.

The device dinged, and the coordinates of her location popped up. Man, that was far.

"Sam? I'll be taking a quick trip. Be back in a day or 2, hopefully."

His accomplice was so exhausted after today's fight against a couple of Yemeni vibranium thieves that they just grunted in response. With that in mind, he hopped into their jet, and took off towards Melbourne, Australia, to see Natasha…and her "friend".

15 hours later, he had rented a motorcycle and was nearing what he thought was Natasha's home. But, he was almost in disbelief – did she live in a hospital now? Was her new occupation a nurse? And worst of all, did she simply call him just to save her new lover?

He dashed through the doors, and someone called, "Steve!"

Natasha. He had never been so happy to see her beautiful face, and he didn't care that her hair was now chopped and blonde. She still looked radiant, despite the hauntingly worried look on her face.

"Natasha," he breathed, his arms starting to come out to hug her, but she smiled faintly, though it looked forced through her worried expression, and indicated for him to follow her. What, he thought, could sway the Black Widow to this level?

"He's right here." She said, without sparing him a greeting. This wounded him only slightly.

They were greeted by a middle-aged doctor who looked questioningly at Natasha, who nodded.

"Stefano Romarri?"

It took him a moment that this must be her new fake alias she had registered him as. "Yeah, that's me." He replied.

"We'll need a sample of your blood to see if it's compatible with the boy's," he said. A boy? Was her new lover the same age as Peter Parker or what?

"Sure." He said easily, hiding the fact that he was getting increasingly frustrated with the vagueness of it all. They were led through a series of doors to a lab, where he was pricked, his blood drawn, and then he waited with Natasha for the results.

"So…how are you holding up?" he said awkwardly.

"I'm…fine. You?" Man, this was getting more awkward by the minute.

"Could be better." She smiled.

The doctor came moments later with a file in hand. "Erm…Mr. Romarri, it seems that you are a perfect match for the boy. We must to a blood transfusion immediately. If you agree, would you please sign here?"

After a bunch of hasty paperwork, Steve had his blood drawn once again, this time in larger quantities. The doctor thanked him quickly, and then left with a team of nurses, one of which who stayed behind.

"Ms. Romarri, would you like to see him?" Natasha only nodded too eagerly, invoking a slight feeling of jealousy in Steve. Who in the world had captured Natasha's heart so profoundly?

But as the view of the operation bed through the window neared, he couldn't help but stare, and feel a slight sense of guilt at all of his thoughts. The human lying in the tiny incubator with a billion wires connected to him…this person…no, it was a baby, no more than a year old.

"Natasha?" he said softly. "That yours?"

For the first time, she met his gaze, and he knew it was even without her nodding. He finally realized that this was what the infamous Black Widow had been up to the last 10 months. Raising a child. No one would have ever guessed.

"Then would does it have to do with me?"

"Remember London? Then take a guess, shawhead."

He thought about it for less than a second, before it hit home, so hard that he, Captain America, a hulking hunk of muscle, had to grasp the wall for support. In London, the night after Peggy's funeral, they had shared bed together, thinking that it would be the last time they were on the same side. And he should have known the insecurity of birth control methods, considering that it was between two superhumans. It was so obvious yet so impossible to believe, and he did not know why he hadn't realized it earlier.

"He's also…mine?"

She smirked, but it did not quite reach her eyes, and said nothing.

"What's his name?"

"James. Well, James Grant Romarri as of now." He couldn't help the sudden rush of emotion as he realized she had named him after his best friend and his own middle name.

"When was…you know, his birthday?"

"Is this some sort of interrogation, Steve?"

He couldn't help but smile as they stared in silence at the grim scene before them. He had a son. And strangely, even though Natasha didn't tell him, he didn't feel a rush of anger. Instead, he felt the need to hug the life out of her.

"Sure it is. I want to know my son."

She looked at him, and genuinely smiled for the first time since he arrived. "His birthday is November 27, 2017. And he's two months old. He has your eyes, you know."

"He's perfect." He said softly.

She stared through the glass as though her eyes could break it, remind him of the way they had seen Fury's apparent "death" when HYDRA had taken over SHIELD. Only this time, there were no watery eyes.

"Yeah, he is," she agreed in an equally tender voice. Cautiously, he draped an arm around her shoulder, and was mentally elated when she let her head on fall on his chest, leaning into him as they both stared at their son being treated. It was simply…amazing, knowing that he had a family with the crush of his life, amid all that was happening in their life – such as the painful-to-watch operation in front of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Omniscient POV**

The next day, James was declared much better – most likely due to his superhuman genes - and his parents were allowed to see him. He wasn't coughing or wailing anymore, and cooed happily, when Natasha took him in her arms. She gently put a finger to his nose, admiring the beauty of her son, and looked at Steve, who had a gaze in his eyes that she had only seen when they were in bed together.

"Steve…" she began awkwardly. "Meet James Rogers."

Gently, she placed him in Steve's arms, and his arms came up to hold him. His eyes widened as he stared into his son's blue eyes, and James was equally awed by the gaze of his father, who was aware of nothing else in the world but that bundle in his arms.

"He's beautiful, Nat."

She smiled. "It's obvious that you two are related."

He smiled back, and without words, a mutual, happy feeling connected both of them at the moment.

A few hours later, James was declared healthy, and he carpooled with Natasha in her rundown, rented car to her temporary residence – a shabby, colorless apartment. She put James, who had fallen asleep, on her own bed, and returned to find him sitting thoughtfully in the kitchen.

"Nat, we…we should talk."

"Nobody likes to hear those words, do they?" she half-smirked.

He smiled half-heartedly as he stood up. "Why didn't you tell me, Natasha?"

Gods, she loved it when he said her full name. "We sort of left in the middle of things, if you remember."

"Yes, but all this time? I could've been there. I would've dropped everything."

"You didn't need to." Her voice suddenly dropped 3 octaves, becoming much lower and a hint more dangerous.

"I would have done anything. Nat…I love you. And knowing I have a son…."

She shook her head. "You can't love me, Steve."

He froze for a moment, his world crumbling down, as he thought that she had rejected him. But it took him a second to realize that Natasha was really rejecting herself. She didn't think herself capable of being loved, having only known how to flirt. And if she did love, she was likely believed herself incapable of being loved. After all, any relationship she had was probably mission-related or a failed one.

"Yes, I can, and I do. You're everything to me, did you know that? All those months I spent obsessing over you."

"Steve…" she interrupted quietly.

He ranted on. "And all those times we shared together? I thought – I know it was more. No one's ever made me feel that way. These days, at least."

"Steve…" she repeated, but much weaker.

It was then when he realized that no one was invincible. Not even him, and not even Natasha. Here she was, the vulnerable one in the room rather than the danger. And being there for her was something that he needed to learn how to do. That was why he loved Natasha – she helped him uncover new things.

"What do you want, Rogers?"

There was no turning back now. This was his one and only opportunity to have something meaningful in his life. "I want you. I want_ us_. I want _our _family."

He went closer to her and put his arms in her shoulders. "Do you remember that woman in the photo from the New Jersey bunker?"

She thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, Steve. Was Peg…was she your girlfriend?"

"No…but we were going to have a date. But I can't let that happen with you, Nat. I want you."

Her posture suddenly sagged, and once again, he thought she was going to reject him. But it took him another second to realize that her armor had been breached, and she was letting part of herself exposed to him.

Gently, he put his arms around her, and she melted in their embrace. She looked up, and his eyes were completely honest, conveying all of his love for her, not hiding any underlying meaning. Their lips met, gently and firmly, and both of them gave equal passion in response to each other. It was like everything was finally being revealed, and in that moment, the other person was all that mattered.

It was cut short by James' wail.

Natasha smiled. "I love you, too, shawhead." She said, her heart beating 100 miles a minute for the first time in a while.

She slid out of their embrace and walked away to James. Steve stood there for a moment, stunned that it had actually happened, that she had finally confirmed what he knew was the truth: that there was actual love between them. And then, grinning like an idiot, he followed Nat to their room, leaning against the doorway as he observed her comforting their son.

They sat in the kitchen, James sitting upward in Steve's arms as he opened his tiny mouth as much as it was allowed, eagerly awaiting Natasha's spoonful of baby food.

"As much as I wish this could last, we have to find a safe house."

Steve gazed at his son's bright, curious expression for a moment longer before focusing on Nat. "Yeah, of course. But should we tell the other Avengers yet?"

She frowned for a moment, shoving another spoonful of food to James. "Not yet. And there's no way I'm raising him in this hell of a place."

"Language." He smirked.

"Please let me know when you're giving up on that."

He chuckled in return. "I'll let you know when this little guy grows up."

"And where would he grow up? Since you've been underground this whole time, there's been a whole lot of new threats besides HYDRA. I've picked up some unusual extraterrestrial activity and some HYDRA-related action in the Middle East."

"What?"

She shook her head exasperatedly. "I swear, if James has your brains then I'm going to give him up."

James chose that moment to let out a giggle. "Aw, you want to be abandoned?" Natasha joked with him.

He chuckled again gently, shaking James in his arms. "Your mother is joking, you know?"

James cooed in response.

"You boys are going to be the end of me." She smiled, and Steve laughed.

"What does extraterrestrial mean anyway? And please tell me it's actually a thing."

"Yes, shawhead, it is real, and it is defined as 'space-related'".

"You've got to be kidding me. And please, stop that voice." Steve said, shaking his head at Natasha's teasing.

She shook her head, this time more serious. "I'm not. And we haven't heard from Thor in so long…TBH, it's suspicious."

He pondered thoughtfully for a moment, as James opened his mouth again for more food, which Natasha carefully fed to him.

"If you're right, then we've got to go back to New York. And there's no way I'm letting James come anywhere close to this."

"My thoughts exactly. But if we leave him here, who knows what could happen?"

"How about hiring a baby sitter?"

"What if it's HYDRA or KGB?" Natasha retorted.

Both of them remained silent for a moment, before Natasha spoke again. "What about Laura?"

"Laura…who?"

She rolled her eyes. "Clint's wife."

That was perhaps their only solution. Laura and Clint were the only ones they trusted who had any experience with kids, and a place to raise them safely. "That could work. Let' say, we drop him there tomorrow, and then meet up with Sam in Syria, or wherever HYDRA is. Might as well take care of that first."

She nodded in agreement, her eyes meeting his, and their bond strengthened by their mutual need for each other, and the motive of fighting to return to their son.

The next day, they rose bright and early, Steve donning a pair of glasses and a huge jacket while Natasha disguised herself as a teenage-like traveler wearing high-tops and hood, the three of them acting as a young, nerdy couple on vacation with their newborn baby. Fortunately, they traveled back to the United States without any sight of HYDRA, SHIELD, or any suspicious-looking government agent. Once they landed, they rented a pickup truck and drove a solid 7 hours to Clint's hidden, rural farmhouse.


	7. Chapter 7

**Omniscient POV**

Natasha knocked on the door raptly and looked at Steve - who was holding James – who returned the look with an encouraging nod.

Laura opened the door. "Natasha?" she said, her eyes widening. "What…wha…why?"

Lila, who had been standing behind her mother, exclaimed "Auntie Nat!" and jumped into Natasha's arms.

Footsteps were heard as Clint came to the doorway, followed by Cooper and a waddling Nathaniel, Clint and Laura's 3-year-old son.

Natasha set Lila down with a "Good to see you too, kiddo," as she ran off back into the house, and then faced Laura and Clint, who were, to say the least, very surprised to see her.

"Hey, Clint. Good to see you," she said casually.

"Likewise, Nat, Cap." Clint said, giving Natasha a warm hug. "You…you two, actually…you look…different."

"Never tell a woman how she looks, Clint. Didn't Laura teach you that?"

Laura smiled, and stood to the side.

"You've brought Captain Rogers. Please, come in."

Natasha entered the house, followed by Steve, revealing the large bundle in his arms. And then Laura gasped, and Clint froze, as they both knew that he was holding something so terribly important and symbolic – something that was a baby.

"Everyone? Meet James." Said Natasha in a song-like tone, interrupting the Barton's shock.

Steve stepped through the doorway, following Natasha as Laura finally exclaimed, "Oh, Natasha!"

She smiled, taking her son into her arms, as she looked at both Clint and Laura.

"We've both been lying low for a couple of months." Explained Steve tersely as the adults and James walked to the kitchen. "But Nat's picked up some activity, and we need to get back. Has anyone contacted you, Clint?"

Clint shook his head. "No…no Avengers since…since Berlin."

Natasha paused, meeting Clint's eyes. "I'm sorry that had to happen."

"No – no, no. Just…it's not your fault. Just pretend it never happened."  
She smiled sadly as she directed her gaze to the baby in her arms. "Can I put him here?" she said, indicating the couch.

Laura shook her head. "I'll put him on Nathaniel's old cradle. He's grown out of it, anyways."

"Thanks, Laura," she said, shifting the weight of the baby to her friend.

Clint, Steve, and Nat went to the kitchen, where Clint served a platter of cookies and a 2 glasses of orange juice. Both of them immediately started snacking.

A moment of silence, until Nat finished chewing. "Are you going back to the compound?" she asked.

Clint definitively shook his head. "Not unless the world ends."

Nat and Steve shared a glance as the way forward was clear. "We were thinking…." Steve started.

Laura returned, with Lila trotting behind her. "We were thinking of leaving James here. If that isn't too much for you." Finished Natasha.

The Bartons shared their own look, and Clint answered for both of them. "Of course you can. But you're parents now. Is it really a good idea to run off when you have a kid at home?"

Natasha's eyes widened, as Clint put what she had thought so extensively about into a few plain words. Steve, however, answered for her.

"Yes, we've thought about that. And yes, we know that it's dangerous. But we're one of the only people that make the world a better place, and we're doing it so our son can live a better life."

Clint nodded. "I respect that." It didn't take a genius to know that he really disapproved of what they were doing, but he loved Natasha – as a friend – long enough to cave in.

It took a while, but they finally got James settled in, and Nathaniel was only too eager to bug him around. However, it was painful for Steve and Nat to finally let go, after a final, tender moment between the tiny family, the parents were forced to spare a lasting glance at their son, memorizing their last moment, as they head out of the house.

Clint followed them outside, anxious to give some last-minute pointers.

"Where're you headed to now?"

Nat and Steve share another mutual look. It seemed that they now communicated in their own language, since discovering themselves and their feelings for each other.

"Syria. Some HYDRA thing there."

Clint nodded, and handed a duffle bag of supplies he had packed when they were saying goodbye to James.

"Here's some material to last you guys. Good luck."

With a final nod, he hugged Nat, and shook Steve's hand. And then, they got into their pickup truck, Laura and Clint watching from their porch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Omniscient POV**

"I miss him already," sighed Natasha as they drove to the airport.

"Me too…" said Steve. "Guess we chose the wrong business to start a family."

Nat froze for a moment, realizing what Steve had put into perspective for her. She had a family now. An entire freaking family.

"Yeah…" she said softly, smiling at him, reminiscing the memory of another, more urgent, pickup truck ride to New Jersey a few years before.

They soon reached the airport and boarded the fastest flight to Syria, where Sam met them upon landing.

"Ay, Romanoff," he said, as they lugged their suitcase – which happened to be nothing but Clint's duffle bag, Cap's shield, and Natasha's batons. "How you doin'?"

She and Steve shared another knowing look, which did not go unnoticed by the Falcon's watchful eyes. "Could be better," she said tersely, with the familiar, knowing smirk.

"Oh yeah? You the one that dragged Cap halfway across the planet?"

She smiled, the same mysterious one that gave away nothing and everything at the same time. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Well…if you really want to know what happened, then just keep an open mind."

"What the heck does that mean? And why are you so happy? Just…what is…what are you two keeping from me?"

This time, the two parents shared a smile instead of a look. "You really ready for the truth, Sam?" Steve teased.

"Oh yeah, I am! I'm the Falcon, what makes you think I ain't ready?"

To their side, Natasha smirked. "Maybe that Captain America and Black Widow have a kid?"

"Oh, that's nothing! I…..wait, WHAT?" Sam Wilson froze and turned to look at two of his best friends. Did his ears fail him or what?

Steve smiled, and put an arm around Natasha. "Yup. His name is James Rogers, and he's 2 months old."

"Wha….wut….What…WHAT? You two banged and WHAT?"

Natasha smiled sheepishly, a silent, shy, "yes" to his question. Abruptly she switched to topic, because any more discussion of her son would detroy her even more.

"So, fellas….HYDRA's in Syria now. Whaddya say, we give them another run for their money?" She said casually, putting her hand in Steve's arm, which was still wrapped around her shoulders.

"Sounds like a plan. Sam, you in?"

"'Course I'm in. But you got to tell me more about this kid…" Sam exclaimed as they walked out of the airport, into their next mission.

They spent the next few days tracking the HYDRA operatives in town – who didn't happen to be Rumlow, much to Sam's disappointment. Instead, it was just a few random Arabic-speaking weapons dealers who were also terrorists dealing WMDs to HYDRA. In any case, they were nobody good.

Natasha felt the familiar thrill of being in a mission once more, as she disguised herself in a burqa and dark robes. But, as she looked down at herself, covered in dark, bland, foreign clothing, was this really the life she wanted in the long run? She sighed, placing her trusty handguns somewhere in the clothing and her signature batons attached to her back, underneath the fabric. She wished she could talk to Steve…but he was Captain America and would likely take the good of the world over their family.

She took her position in the field, focusing herself on the setting in front of her, tearing her mind away from a dream life with James and Steve.

"Okay, boys," she said, her dangerous Black Widow voice unconsciously returning through their communication links. "Our friendly terrorist shipment is headed your way."

"Copy that, Natasha."

The terrorists conversed in Arabic, discussing their greed for Chiaturi weapons. Definitely bad guys, or "bullies", as Steve so nicely put it.

"That's about as much as I needed to hear," he said calmly as he busted down the door and, with Sam, knocked out every single man in the room.

Natasha entered the room a moment after everyone fell, surveying the scene. "Guess my old KGB contacts are still pulling through," she said in a way that seem like she was buying milk instead of watching men being knocked unconscious.

"We should move fast. Won't take long for them to point fingers at us," Steve said, as all three of them pulled off their mask.

He pulled Natasha into a close embrace, placing his lips on hers for a moment of tenderness, as if telling her, in that instant, that everything would be alright, and they would be with James soon. Not that she needed it anyways, but she appreciated it. Sam groaned.

They ignored him, and knelt down at the box containing the weapons, the same box which the terrorists had just been standing around.

"Just need to make sure we get these Chiaturi components stripped and unusable before another splinter cell tries to take a crack at modifying them."

"You sure you don't want to call Tony on this?" asked Natasha.

"I'm sure he's got enough on his plate," answered Steve. Natasha had a distrust for their limited technological capabilities, and he couldn't blame her. But the last time they saw each other, both Nat and Steve were in hot water with him.

"What's next?" he asked.

"Lebanon." Answered Sam.

They were leaving the scene when Natasha's smartphone suddenly vibrated underneath her robes. She whipped it out. "It's Vision," she said.

This was unusual, because no one could contact Natasha, unless he/she was a genius that could get through her layers of encryption. And the second reason was the Vision never contacted anybody unless he needed it.

"What happened?"

"His stone's feeling weird." She summarized his message.

"Oh yeah? Why didn't he contact Stark?" asked Sam.

"Probably Wanda." Said Natasha. "She doesn't seem to be a fan of being locked in her room."

"Maybe he did contact Stark, and he's just busy." Said Sam, as pissed as Steve was about their last encounter with the billionaire.

Steve looked at her phone screen, glancing at the message. "Forget Lebanon. Let's go to Scotland."


	9. Chapter 9

** Omniscient POV**

And to Scotland they went, arriving in the nick of time. Wanda and Vision were near being slaughtered by two hideous, foreign creatures that were definitely not human, even if they did speak English. Immediately, Steve, Nat, and Sam jumped in the fight to do what they did best – avenge, and this time, it was for Vision. If they couldn't save Vision, it would be pointless for them to fight for James. After all, he and Wanda where like students to both of them. Even though one side of them wanted James as far away from the avenging world as possible, the other side knew that he would likely grow up to be another hero.

_ [insert Infinity war fight scene in Edinburgh + going to Avengers facility]_

Back at the Avengers facility, War Machine – Rhodey – was recovered and in a deep, heated conversation with another mustached dude – Senator or Secretary Ross or something- in other words, the same idiot who had suggested the Sokovia Accords, and ruined the Avengers. He tried to confront them, having a façade of seeming authority, but Steve, who was way past "asking for forgiveness", threatened to fight him in the most Captain-America-like way ever.

Rhodey literally brushed his projection aside, as he, too, was past the government's order, and was thrilled to see his friends once more.

"It's great to see you, Cap," he said, smiling, as he clapped Steve's hand. Despite their little Civil War, they were genuinely happy to be reunited.

"You too, buddy," he said in return.

"Hey," Rhodes added as he gave Natasha a hug. "You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years."

"Yeah, well the hotels weren't exactly five-star," Sam answered, looking satisfied at that the rift between the two had vanished.

"Well, I think you look great," said a familiar voice from across the room. Bruce Banner.

Apparently, he had returned from…wherever he had been.

Steve was furious. Furious that this guy, who could not even control his own mind (sometimes), had come back at directly the worst time. He might have gone through a lot, and he was probably much smarter than him – which he respected – but to just come back and almost…flirt? He, Steve, had a much closer bond with Natasha than Banner ever would. She was the mother of his son, and his son only. Even though he was the seemingly perfect Captain America, and this was the eve of perhaps their biggest battle, he could not but help feel a bit…jealous. What if Natasha did go back to Banner? No, no, she would never to that…right?

A surge of a thousand different emotions went through Natasha. Here she was, standing right next to Steve, but right across from the man whom she had crushed on for so long. The last time they had met, he wasn't even himself. She felt a wave of remote frustration from Steve - the man who had now taken her heart, and the father of her child - and she had studied enough of human emotion to know that he was nervous – which was understandable – and his facial expression only portrayed a hint of jealousy. A smirk played at her lips, but she knew, for now, their good news had to be kept a secret.

"Hi, Bruce," she said casually, managing a small, faint, smile.

"Well, this is awkward," whispered Sam. Of course, it would be, since he was the only other person who knew what had really happened in the years they had gone.

Rhodey took them to another room, where they replenished with a few drinks. Despite the original cheeriness of being reunited again, the mood was again darkened by the looming threat of Thanos, and his almost-guaranteed next target: Vision. More specifically, the Mind Stone on Vision's forehead.

"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it."

"That's too high a price," said Wanda, on the verge of tears. No one wished to argue with her. She had gone through so much, losing her parents, her home, her brother, and now, she was about to lose her boyfriend.

Vision, being the calculating, caring, person he was made to be, he was, took her face into his hands. "Only you have the power to pay it." Wanda, clearly distressed at her boyfriend not caring about his own life, walked away, too worried to look at him anymore.

Steve bowed his head and diverted his eyes from the scene, clearly reminiscing his own relationship with Natasha, with his family. What if, one day, they had to pay that price, too? He was a father now, and he had new responsibilities that sometime seemed too big to undertake.

Bruce was the one who realized that there were alternate methods, like removing the stone but not removing Vision. And, remembering T'Challa's words of a genius in Wakanda, Steve suggested that they travel to his palace in the hopes of doing so.

_[cut to right before Infinity War's fight scene in Wakanda]_

Earth's last line of defense stood in horror as they stared at Wakanda's protective shields, at the hideous creatures tearing themselves apart in order to get them. These creatures, who were less than animals, who thought of nothing else besides killing.

If they did nothing now, then the shield would soon break, and the entirety of Wakanda – followed by the rest of Earth - would fall to Thanos's minions. And there was only one alternative, which T'Challa reluctantly gave the order to do.

That solution? Opening a fraction of the shield around the kingdom so that there was only one source of the fighting, and so no one had to keep an eye on the entire shield. Even so, it would be near impossible to win this fight, despite the army consisting of the entirety of Wakanda's well-trained warriors, and Earth's best heroes, including Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Black Widow, Black Panther, the Banner in the Hulkbuster.

Everyone else was fighting to live, to protect their own home. But Steve and Natasha? If they lost, then it would destroy everything they had spent so much effort building in the last few months. It would destroy their family.

_[cut to the point, after the Battle of Wakanda, when Thanos has snapped everybody]_

"Lila? Where's your dad?" said Natasha, panicking after entering the familiar farmhouse and noticing its unusual coldness. Clint, Laura, Cooper and Nathaniel were nowhere to be seen, and it was way too likely that they had been vaporized.

No. Not Clint, who had always been seemingly invincible. Not sweet Laura, dear Cooper, and baby Nathaniel, who did not deserve this at all. And not Laura, who should not have seen her family vanish.

It was right after that tragic battle of Wakanda, where Natasha had lost almost everyone she held dear to her. And when she came back, it was only worse, after discovering the disappearance of Fury, Hill, and 3.5 billion other innocent lives on the planet. Luckily, Steve was here with her, and she so desperately needed him. But as of now, the only thing on her mind was her son. The pain right now was the anxiety of not knowing, the suspense that built up every second.

"Auntie Nat? Auntie Nat!" she whimpered, running to Natasha's arms.

Natasha knelt down and embraced her, as the two shared a moment of shared desperation. "Lila, where's Clint?"

Lila rubbed her eyes. "Daddy's away. He said he'd be gone for a day or two. But Mommy, Cooper, Nathan, and James…they're just…gone."

Still leaving her hand on Lila's shoulder, Natasha eyes widened, as she slowly stood up, and looked up at Steve. Her own look of terror was mirrored in Steve's.

Because Steve, too, was terrified. Bucky was gone. Sam was gone. His two best friends, gone despite their most valiant efforts. All because he wasn't strong enough. _At least,_ he thought, _I'm not alone. I have Natasha. And maybe James. Maybe. We can be a family… _

But as he scoured the empty farmhouse, he felt his resolve crumbling. Captain America, the front of the one of the biggest powers in the world, was being destroyed. He looked at Natasha, and the glassy, watery texture of her eyes summarized everything.

No. Not James. Not this. Anything but this.


	10. Chapter 10

**READ BELOW: **

This story was written before Endgame was released. So if you're here before it dropped, then cross your fingers and hope something exciting happens to Cap and/or Nat (aka our favorite couple)!

If you're here after Endgame was released and you've watched the movie/read the summary, then stay tuned! I'm busy, but I'm still writing and editing the story.

Hope you enjoyed it!


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